One on One
by Lexxicon
Summary: Just a friendly game of basketball.


**_Author's note:_** This is just some plotless tomfoolery to keep me occupied while I work on forming my multichapter _SVU_ fic.

**_Disclaimer:_** As always, I claim no right to these characters.

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"You're gonna wish you hadn't challenged me, Stabler."

"You think so, Collins? You should just quit now while I'm ahead," he answered, taking a shot. The ball bounced off the rim and skittered across the floor to where Olivia stood watching.

She bent down and picked up the basketball, shifting it from one hand to the other.

A cell phone sounded from the bench, and Collins went to answer it. Liv walked towards Elliot, who was taking a drink of water. He set down his drink and gave her a discreet once-over. She was wearing dark blue shorts with a periwinkle stripe and a matching tank top.

"On your way to the weight room?" Elliot asked her.

"I _was_," she said, bouncing the ball a couple times, testing her ability to handle it.

A slow smile crept across his face as he made a sudden move for the ball. She surprised him bybouncing itout of his reach.

"Oh-ho-ho!" he exclaimed, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise. He put his hands out, preparing to go for the ball again. She crouched down in a defensive position, dribbling the ball more naturally, keeping it back.

Collins snapped his phone shut and called out, "Hey, Elliot, I've gotta go."

Elliot turned his attention to Collins to acknowledge him, and Olivia used the opportunity to make a move towards the basket. Elliot immediately turned back, chasing after her.

She got close enough to make the shot, but Elliot caught up with her and grabbed her around the waist. She still managed to get the shot off, and it bounced off the backboard and into the net. Elliot set her down and ran to retrieve the ball, taking it back out to the half court.

Realizing that Elliot's attention was diverted, Collins grabbed his bag and left, shaking his head and grinning.

"You're _so_ going down, Stabler," Liv warned, standing in front of him.

"Psh, whatever," he threw back. "I'm gonna kick your ass."

"Promises, promises," she countered, grinning impishly and shaking her hips.

He was momentarily distracted by the swaying, and that gave Olivia all the opportunity she needed. She lunged forward and knocked the ball from Elliot's grasp. She again ran towards the basket, but he was quicker this time, and got in front of her before she could get the shot off.

"C'mon, Elliot, I thought you were good at this game," she teased.

"Well, I was being a gentleman," he answered.

"Don't be gentle. Just be good."

They both stopped as they thought about what she'd just said. Elliot recovered first, and managed to snatch the ball and toss it. It swished.

Olivia took it back out to the top of the key. Elliot paused to pull the hem of his shirt up and wipe the sweat from his face. Olivia also took the opportunity to catch her breath while getting a glimpse of his toned, if a little pasty, abs.

"Looks like someone needs a little sun," she said, indicating his pale skin.

"Yeah, well, not all of us have the gift of radiant skin," he said, indicating her naturally darker tone.

"Radiant? Elliot, you're practically phosphorescent," she taunted.

"Careful, or I might just blind you," he answered back, playing along.

"Try it!" she challenged.

"Trust me, Liv; there are _much_ whiter areas on my body than my stomach."

"I don't think that's even _possible_."

He chuckled. "You'd be surprised."

"I'd have to wear polarized sunglasses or something."

"Oh, these areas are best viewed…unobstructed," he said suggestively.

She shook her head. "You kiss your kids with that dirty mouth?"

He let out a laugh. "I usually brush first."

She smiled and took a ready stance with the ball. She faked right, then went around Elliot's left. He stumbled slightly, then chased after her. She stopped to take her shot, but Elliot reached her and knocked the ball out of her hands. It skittered away towards the wall, and they both ran after it. Liv had picked it up and turned back to the court when her partner ran right into her, causing her to drop the ball again, and pinning her against the wall.

"Well, _that_'s cheating," she said mildly.

"Is it?" he countered conversationally.

She narrowed her eyes at him, and he mirrored the look.

"Hey, do you mind if we play, or are we interrupting something?"

Olivia and Elliot looked towards the voice. Two detectives from homicide stood in the doorway, watching the partners' interaction.

Elliot stepped away from Olivia and started walking towards the men. "Nope, just a friendly game of one-on-one with my partner," he answered.

"Yeah, well, we can see _that_," the brown-haired detective said.

"The friendly _and_ the one-on-one," the other added.

"James, Aaron," Elliot greeted each of them, shaking their hands. Olivia stood a step back, shaking her head and grinning at the two homicide cops.

"So how 'bout a game of two-on-two, then?" James said. "Perhaps not as friendly, but fun, nonetheless."

"Fun is good," Elliot said. He turned around to his partner. "Liv? Think we can take down these clowns?"

"Let's tussle," she answered devilishly.

Sixteen points later, the SVU duo were bumping butts in celebration of another three-point shot, and the Homicide detectives were catching their breath on the sidelines.

Elliot and Olivia joined them at the benches. He picked up his own sports bottle, but upon realizing it was empty, he snatched Olivia's from her right as she was bringing it up to her lips to drink.

"Hey!" she said in mock protest, grabbing for the bottle. Elliot tried to drink while fending her off, then turned it on her, squirting her in the face.

She sputtered, and they both laughed as she got a hold of it and got him back.

They were moving back onto the court when James said, "You know, I think you two are at an unfair advantage."

Elliot and Olivia looked at each other. Elliot said, "How do you figure?"

"You guys have been partners for seven years. You work together that long, you've almost got a psychic connection. Each of you can predict what the other's gonna do."

"So?" Liv said.

"So, I think we should switch. You know, one Homicide and one Sex Crimes on each team."

As if to prove the point, Elliot and Olivia seemed to have a silent discussion. Without saying anything, they appeared to have reached an agreement. "Okay, we'll do it," Elliot said.

"Okay," James said, a little surprised that they'd agreed. "Elliot, you're with Aaron, and Olivia's with me."

Olivia wiped her face with her towel, then rolled it up and snapped Elliot's butt with it as he walked past her. His response was to squirt her one more time with the water bottle.

James was right in his assumption that the teams would be more matched with the partners on opposing sides. Elliot and Olivia could predict pretty well what the other would do.

The score for the new game was matched at 6 points for each team. Olivia had the ball at the top of the key, and Elliot stood in front of her, blocking. She faked right, then moved left. Unfortunately for her, Elliot had anticipated this move.

Instead of going for the ball, he went right for her. He swept her off her feet in a fireman's carry. The basketball bounced away as she grabbed onto the only thing she could to stabilize herself: Elliot's backside.

Elliot craned his neck to look over his shoulder at Olivia. "I didn't realize you felt that way, Liv."

Her reply was to smack his butt. Hard.

"Whoa, hey!" he exclaimed. "You break it, you buy it!"

"Get me my checkbook!" she called out, smacking him again.

He winced at the pain while still laughing at her futile struggles.

Aaron and James just stood back, watching in bewilderment. "I guess it's true what they say about Sex Crimes messing with your head," Aaron said.

"They gotta vent _somehow_," James agreed sagely.

"Stop pinching!"

The two detectives from Homicide looked at each other, eyebrows raised.

"Hey, Elliot," James called out.

Elliot spun around, eliciting a nauseated moan from Olivia.

"We're gonna head out," James continued, picking up his bag and following Aaron out.

"Alright," Elliot said, then winced at another pinch from Olivia. He pinched her backside and continued to James with, "See you later."

As Aaron and James walked out the door, Elliot was calling out over his shoulder, "Does this mean I win?"

"Screw you.You cheated!" was Olivia's muffled reply. "Elliot, put me down!"

"Is that all you wanted? Why didn't you just say so?" he said, setting her down. She wobbled unsteadily, and his hands snaked lazily around her waist and splayed across her lower back.

She put her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder. He rested his cheek against the side of her head.

"Good to have you back, partner," Elliot said into Olivia's hair.

She smiled into his shoulder. "Good to be back."

They stood like that, catching their breath.

"Ouch! No pinching!"

_**End**_

I know it's out of character, but please review anyway.


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